The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is the premier American showcase for vocal harmony music. The annual national competition draws from hundreds of vocal groups from around the country with regional competitions in eight cities. The winning group from each festival is flown to perform in front of celebrity judges and a sold out house of enthusiastic a cappella fans at the National Finals.

All jazz musicians, The Bluesettes Quintet breathes new life into current popular tunes utilizing a modern jazz sound, featuring a vocal trio as well as a vocal rhythm section. The five members work together to create new, innovative arrangements with a retro feel, striving to preserve the classic jazz style of the 1930s and 1940s.

All jazz musicians, The Bluesettes Quintet breathes new life into current popular tunes utilizing a modern jazz sound, featuring a vocal trio as well as a vocal rhythm section. The five members work together to create new, innovative arrangements with a retro feel, striving to preserve the classic jazz style of the 1930s and 1940s.

Flipside's been entertaining folks for years with their simple style and unique arrangements of audience favorites. "We just have so much fun with this! The real joy is in sharing it with the people that come to see us." Based in Orange County and performing mainly around the southland, they go wherever the music takes them. From cafes to concert halls - rock, jazz, R&B, and more - Flipside's got something for every audience.

Award-winning Frequency is a vocal band founded in 2009 and dedicated to performing songs from the 70s to today with a focus on the story in the music. Music is part of the living soundtrack of our lives-the music that plays in the background of important moments and that we associate with our most important memories. With a passionate and thoughtful delivery, we take the audience on a personal trip through music they know and grew up with, inviting them to remember the moments and experience the emotions all over again. Like the old analog radio frequencies that first delivered many of these songs, all-vocal Frequency brings the audience a reminder of some of their favorites.

Minor 6 is an a cappella group comprised of talented 14 and 15 year-old singers who met at Coast Music Conservatory. They may be young, but they take their music seriously. The group loves to sing a variety of music including pop, jazz, classical and rock styles. Their videos "All of Me" and "Thriller" have received almost 30,000 views on Youtube. The group's influences include the Pentatonix, The Real Group, The Singers Unlimited, New York Voices and many more. They are thrilled to be part of this incredible competition.

Premiere A Cappella is LA's newest all-female powerhouse created to push the boundaries of all-female a cappella through their innovative, bold musical choices and style. Formed in April 2013, Premiere has emerged on to the LA music scene with a diverse repertoire ranging from contemporary pop and country to R&B and alternative rock. Balancing their commitment to the group with individual professional careers, these talented ladies each bring a unique musical background to the table. When the girls are not busy performing around LA, they enjoy bonfires on the beach, karaoke nights, and obsessing over The Sing-Off.

Based in Los Angeles, California, Red Harmony tailors its selection of songs to the voices and personalities of its singers in order to present a fresh and original performance. Each member brings a very unique style, specialty, and energy to the table, creating a synergistic culture where ideas are shared and creativity is celebrated. From accompanying each other with rhythmic vocals to reveling in crunchy jazz chords, Red Harmony creates a personal experience with every note.

RockNacappella is a vocal performance group specializing in pop, rock, musical theatre, gospel, and patriotic selections. The program was founded in early 2014 by their 17-year-old arranger and director, Lindsay Ryan. In a relatively short amount of time, the group has garnered a lot of success and attention. RockNacappella performs at concerts, events, and ceremonies all around the Los Angeles area, including the Pantages Theatre and the GRAMMY Museum, and they have appeared on KCAL9 and CBS-LA. RockNacappella’s performers at Harmony Sweepstakes are 13 to 17-years-of-age, and they are well supported by twenty-six other talented performers in their full group.

Swing Shift styles itself as a vocal jazz/pop sextet. The group’s signature sound is their rich harmonic treatment of jazz, pop, and Broadway standards. They appear locally at clubs and private parties. Appearing at the LA Harmony Sweepstakes in 2004, Swing Shift was honored with the best arrangement award for "Where is Love?" And again in 2011, the group won best arrangement for its jazz version of “This Heart of Mine.”
Our roster has drawn over the years from the SMC Vocal Jazz ensemble including three of the present roster (Sandra, Dakota, and Richard). We are proud that many of Swing Shift’s alumni have gone on to advance their professional careers in such prestigious ensembles as the LA Master Chorale, Aurora, New Directions, and LA Choral Lab.
If you like lush sounds, complex harmonies, and creamy-smooth blend, you’ll love hearing this group.

Honey Whiskey Trio blends sounds and styles from folk, bluegrass and jazz. This trio found its roots in the vocal jazz department of CSU Long Beach where the members all studied with Christine Guter, though at different times. Years later, well into their own careers as musicians and educators, the need for a new outlet for musical exploration brought Courtney, Ann and Christina together and the Honey Whiskey Trio was formed.

Amy Engelhardt was the sole female member of genre-busting, Grammy-nominated a cappella quartet THE BOBS from 1998 to 2011. Also one of their primary writer/arrangers, Amy was honored with the 2011 Burman Award for Songwriting from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC). She also garnered three BroadwayWorld Award nominations for writing and performance in "Two Bobs, No Waiting," with Bob Malone of the John Fogerty Band. Amy's score for BASTARD JONES (a rock musical adaptation of Henry Fielding’s TOM JONES) was a Finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award. The show was recently workshopped in New York and will premiere off-off-Broadway in 2015. The Writer and Artistic Producer of TUNE IN TIME, New York City's Musical Theater Game Show running monthly at the York Theatre, Amy splits her time between New York City and Los Angeles. Amy teaches songwriting and vocal performance (solo/group) privately and at vocal festivals across the US, and is the only honorary female member of the Vienna Boys Choir. It's true!

Jeff Smith

Los Angeles-based musician Jeff Smith is best known to a cappella fans for his role as singer/vocal percussionist for the internationally-acclaimed pop/jazz ensemble, m-pact. Since joining the band in 2004, he has toured all over the world, performing in venues ranging from jazz clubs and festivals to concert halls and opera houses. Outside of m-pact, he is a full-time freelance musician, producer, clinician, and arranger. His voice (and beatboxing) can be heard on numerous film/TV soundtracks, as well as in countless live performances across the U.S. Jeff serves in the Army Reserve as the commander and conductor of the 300th Army Band in Los Angeles, and he has been a featured vocalist and worship leader at numerous churches throughout southern California. He works as a performing arts coach for Burbank Public Schools, and he has recently been commissioned to develop and lead a new music education curriculum at West Valley Christian School in West Hills, CA. In his spare time, Jeff is also a solo recording artist and has several CARA-nominated all-vocal releases on iTunes and other digital music outlets. Jeff lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife Heather, son Noah, and new bouncing baby girl Sophia.

Interested in Performing?

We are always seeking groups who would like to participate
in our events.

Groups of any style are welcome, but you must have between
3 and 8 members. We have a rule book which explains many of the
details of the event, which you can see by clicking here. All groups must audition in
order to compete. Generally this is done by sending a current tape
and photo, although live auditions are sometimes arranged. The
purpose of the audition is to make sure the group is appropriate for
the Festival and to help the Director determine the performance
order. If a group has competed previously, the audition process may
be waived.

Will Hamblet (Los Angeles) The South Bay Coastliner Chorus has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) for over half a century. For the last 15 years, the Coastliners have sponsored the Los Angeles Regional Harmony Sweepstakes program. As such, they are the only BHS organization involved in this competition. During their sponsorship, the Los Angeles Regional is proud to have produced 5 National winners & 2 second place finalists.

The Hermosa Beach Playhouse is a division of the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities. Created for the greater South Bay area to expand the availability of programming by providing a more intimate setting. This beautifully appointed 474-seat venue enables us to present a new catalog of production of straight plays as well as musicals.
Performances are presented at The Hermosa Beach Playhouse located on the southwest corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach. There is plenty of free parking.Directions -